The present invention relates to a capless automotive fuel-filling device, more particularly a two-piece capless fuel-filling device and a method for attaching the same to the body of an automotive vehicle during the assembly process.
Automobiles typically include a fuel-filling assembly including a door and a fuel cap on or near the side of the car body. To fill the fuel tank, a user must open the fuel door and remove the fuel cap. Often when performing this task, the user will get fuel or dirt on their hands and possibly their clothing. One obvious improvement on this fuel-filling process is to eliminate the task of removing the fuel cap. Such capless devices have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,194, U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,760, U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,206, U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,920, U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,685, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,316.
While the aforesaid devices have effectively eliminated the need for a fuel cap, a practical method of attaching them to a vehicle during the assembly process has evaded vehicle manufacturers. During assembly, current fuel-filling devices are attached to the body panel of a vehicle by insertion through an opening from the exterior side of the body panel, whereafter they are attached to the body panel and the fuel-filler pipe. The details and designs of the aforesaid capless fuel-filling devices are not easily used-with current assembly methods, and to reconfigure the assembly process would be costly and inefficient.
The present invention provides a two-piece capless fuel-filling device and a method of attaching the same to a vehicle. The capless fuel-filling device includes two primary components, an exterior housing member and an interior housing member. An exterior housing member includes a face plate and is placed within an opening formed in the vehicle body panel, and attached thereto. Next, an interior housing component includes a valve for restricting and enabling insertion of a refueling nozzle, and is attached to the exterior housing component or an interior side of the body panel, thus creating the effect of a single capless fuel-filling device.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.